Wrapped Up:  Yarnbombing at the Morris Arboretum Opens March 26

 

Join Morris Arboretum as it debuts its newest outdoor art exhibit, Wrapped Up: Yarnbombing at Morris Arboretum by fiber artist Melissa Maddonni Haims on Saturday, March 26, with an opening reception from 1-3pm.

Yarnbombing is a fairly new type of graffiti art in which public bridges, signs, bike racks, and outdoor sculptures are decorated with colorful knitted and crocheted yarn pieces.  This worldwide street art phenomenon has evolved to displays in more open space, in woodland settings, and outdoor & indoor curated shows.

At the Arboretum, Haims has strategically adorned twelve select garden features and plants in the living collection. Working primarily with recycled textiles, Haims utilized various hues and stitch techniques to create a unique look for each site.  As guests wander the 92-acre garden, they will find the Love Temple, the bridge by the Springhouse and the Mono maple near the Japanese Overlook, to name just a few, decked out in fiber fabulousness!  A Wrapped Up map with all twelve locations marked is available online and at the Visitor’s Center.

Wrapped Up is the first exhibit/event  of the Arboretum’s 2016 theme, Awaken the Senses, focusing on sight, sound, touch, taste, and scent.  Haims believes “yarn holds smells as well as memories”, which allows a deeper connection to the art.  Fifty-five local knitters and crocheters created their own yarn memory during the Arboretum’s March 5 Yarn Along. This community piece now decorates the bridge adjacent to the garden’s Log Cabin.

Wrapped Up will be on display for approximately six months, weather permitting.  This exhibit is free with garden admission and is supported in part by the Madeleine K. Butcher Fine Arts Endowment.

The Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania is located at 100 East Northwestern Avenue in the Chestnut Hill section of Philadelphia.  The 92-acre horticulture display garden features a spectacular collection of mature trees in a beautiful and colorful landscape. The Arboretum includes numerous picturesque spots such as a formal rose garden, historic water features, a swan pond, and the only remaining freestanding fernery in North America. A permanent nationally award winning exhibit,Out on a Limb – a Tree Adventure Exhibit adds to Morris Arboretum’s allure by transporting visitors 50 feet up into the treetops on a canopy walk that requires no climbing.  Open weekdays 10am-4pmand weekends 10am-5pm.  Open late on Wednesdays in June, July, and August until 8:00pm.  For more information, visit morrisarboretum.org.

yarnbombing

Photo Credit:  Melissa Maddonni Haims

Photo Caption: Morris Arboretum debuts its newest outdoor art exhibit, Wrapped Up: Yarnbombing at Morris Arboretum by fiber artist Melissa Maddonni Haims on Saturday, March 26, with an opening reception from 1-3pm. These colorful knitted and crocheted yarn pieces will adorn twelve select garden features and plants in the living collection.  For more information, www.morrisarboretum.org.